ArticlePilot and feasibility studies2026
UniVRse: protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial of virtual reality cognitive-behaviour therapy for students with social anxiety.
Article in Pilot and feasibility studies, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05704868 (UniVRse), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
UniVRse: Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial of Virtual Reality Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (VR-CBT) for Students With Social Anxiety
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Advancing Undergraduate Student Mental Healthcare of Social Anxiety Disorder: Evaluating the Acceptance of AR-Assisted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Through TAM-Based Constructs.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSocial anxiety is prevalent amongst university students. Cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT), and graded exposure techniques in particular, is an effective intervention for social anxiety. However, there are a number of barriers preventing the delivery of CBT to students who are socially anxious. Delivering this intervention using virtual reality (VR) can address these implementation issues. We have co-developed with a group of students a VR-CBT intervention (UniVRse) specifically for members of this student group with social anxiety. METHODS/
designThe present study is a pilot randomised controlled trial conducted in the United Kingdom of the UniVRse intervention compared to a wait-list control group. The aim of the trial is to determine whether a definitive trial is justified by assessing study recruitment, retention, and acceptability, as well as establishing the effect size on the co-primary outcomes for the definitive trial sample size calculation. We aim to recruit 90 socially anxious students-45 in each trial arm. The trial will adopt a mixed-methods approach. We will collect quantitative data at baseline (T0) and post-intervention 6 weeks later (T1). We will invite participants randomised to the intervention arm to complete a qualitative exit interview. DISCUSSION: The results of this pilot trial will be used to determine whether a definitive trial is justified, and to inform the refinement of the UniVRse programme and trial procedures. In the longer term, the UniVRse intervention has the potential to be an effective and accessible psychological intervention for students with social anxiety.
trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov, NCT05704868. Registered 30th January 2023.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.